Original Worm Factory

Worm composting is an incredibly efficient way to convert kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich compost for your garden. Most 'Master Gardeners' consider worm castings to be the very best compost available. Your plants will thrive with this all-natural compost.

Composting made easy! Sorting out the undigested scraps can be a messy, inconvenient chore with ordinary worm composters. The Worm Factory® automatically separates food scraps from finished compost. Simply fill the bottom tray with red wiggler worms, bedding and food (i.e. newspaper, junk mail, vegetable trimmings, fruit peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, paper, cardboard, etc). As the worms finish digesting, they will migrate upward into the tray above, leaving rich castings behind. The concentrated liquid created from the worm castings, also known as worm tea, can be effortlessly drained as liquid fertilizer from the spigot at the bottom of The Worm Factory. It couldn’t be easier or cleaner. No mess. No unpleasant odors. The Worm Factory® can be placed indoors or outdoors for home owners and apartment dwellers alike.

In full operation, the Worm Factory® houses 10,000 to 12,000 worms, consumes 5 to 8 pounds of food a week, allowing you to harvest a full tray of nutrient rich castings every month. Measures 16" x 16" x 21" for a 3 tray system, 3.5" higher for each tray added. Weighs approx. 11 lbs with 3 trays (empty).

Stacking Trays

Each tray is 16x16x5 and is made from recycled #2 plastics. The Worm Factory® can be ordered as 3,4 or 5 trays and can be expanded up to 7 trays. Three trays normally provides enough room for the kitchen waste of two adults. Each tray averages to be about 12 pounds when full of compost.

Worm Factory® Base

Collection Tray

As your Worm Factory® processes compost it can creates a moisture called leachate or "worm tea". This moisture gets pulled down by gravity collecting nutrients along the way. The collection tray holds this liquid until your ready to spigot it out as liquid fertilizer. This is a very concentrated liquid and should be diluted with 2 parts water. Your plants will be greener than ever!

Worm Factory Collection Tray

16-Page Instruction Book

Detailed instructions are provided on the setup and management of the Worm Factory®. Illustrated to show you the best techniques to use when vermicomposting. This manual is made from recycled paper and uses soy based inks.

Worm Factory Instruction Book

"Quick Tips" Lid

Many people believe a lid is necessary to keep the worms from escaping from their Worm Factory®. Having a tight lid actually works against your worm composter by restricting air flow. Worms are sensitive to light and will move away from it as quickly as possible. The most important reason to have a lid is to protect the top layer from any light. As an added benefit we have placed the basic instructions on the lid in case your manual becomes lost.

Worm Factory 360 Lid

Coir

A great growing medium and worm bedding material, coir is a byproduct of harvesting coconuts. Coir holds moisture and then releases it slowly allowing worms to keep moist. Once the compost enters your plants or garden any coir that comes along with it is great for growing strong root systems.

Coir

Worm Bedding

Created from a mixture of paper and cardboard, the worm bedding is crushed together and turned into a light fluffy substance that provides fiber for the worms and aerates the compost. The Worm Bedding comes in a brown paper bag that can also be put directly into your Worm Factory®.

Worm Bedding

Spigot

The spigot allows valuable “worm tea” to be easily drained from the collection tray. Once you see the effect of “worm tea” on your plants you won’t be able to get enough.

Worm Factory Spigot

Each Worm Factory® comes with full instructions and everything you need to get started. The Worm Factory® is made in the U.S.A., constructed from high quality recycled and virgin food grade plastics, with a limited 5 year warranty from the manufacturer on materials and workmanship. It is very simple to assemble and can be stored in or outside. Operational in temperatures between 45 and 85 degrees.

The Worm Factory® has a unique design which makes us much different from other upward migrating worm composters and here is why:

The Smallest Footprint: The Worm Factory® has the smallest footprint. It takes up 20% less floor space than larger units but there is no restriction on how many trays you can stack. The Worm Factory® is capable of holding the largest capacity in the smallest area.

Expandable and Manageable: The Worm Factory® is expandable allowing for multiple trays to be stacked on top of each other. As the compost shrinks, the trays shrink along with it allowing effortless, upward migration for the worms. The Worm Factory® is also more manageable than other composters. The Worm Factory’s® trays hold about 12.5 lbs of compost which make them easy to lift and restack for people young and old.

Ventilation Lid with Tips: Some composters come with tight fitting lids. As compost processes, both gas and heat are given off which must be ventilated. If poorly ventilated, gas and heat build up and water is formed. With increased moisture in the bedding, the amount of oxygen is depleted. This fosters a chain reaction of anaerobic bacteria which creates more gas, giving off an obnoxious smell of rotten eggs. To operate an odorless worm composter at its maximum efficiency, the bedding and food must have a controlled amount of moisture and the maximum amount of air. This combination fosters aerobic bacteria, the essential, most basic, single element which worms consume. With The Worm Factory’s® unrestricting lid, the loose fit provides maximum ventilation for air flow to get the good bacteria for your worms and to prevent that rotten egg smell. There are also composting tips printed on the lid for a quick reference.

Materials: 100% recycled and virgin food grade plastics. At one point you may have wondered, “What exactly does food grade plastic mean?” 100% recycled material can be unstable and may cause parts of the product to warp and distort. To help reduce the amount of warping, the trays include a mix of recycled and virgin High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). HDPE is a waxy material that makes plastic sturdy. HDPE is used in products and packaging such as milk jugs, detergent bottles, margarine tubs, garbage containers and water pipes. Products made with HDPE will not give off chemicals that harm you or your food. This is why we say our product is made of “food grade plastic” as well as "recycled plastic".

Worm Bin Instruction Manual: One of the best features of The Worm Factory® is the complete 16 page, illustrated instruction manual. Whether you are an expert or a beginner, the manual will assure you a successful outcome of recycling your kitchen waste and create the most nutrient rich soil for your house plants, containers and garden.

Your new Worm Factory® comes complete with: 3, 4 or 5 Stacking Trays, Base, Ventilation Lid, Spigot, Worm Tea Collection Tray, Assembly Screws, 1 - 250gm Coir Brick, Shredded Paper, and 16 page Instruction Book.

Free shipping to U.S. address (excluding AK & HI. & APO addresses). (Sorry, we have to exclude AK & HI & APO addresses due to the extremely high shipping costs ($26 per unit) to these states.)

Having trouble placing your order with our shopping cart? Try placing your order using our secured order form: ORDER FORM.

What is composting?
Composting is a process by which microorganism, bacteria, mold, yeast, fungus, and protozoa break down the food into simpler compounds by enzyme action, producing 100% natural organic fertilizer.

How do worms assist the composting process?
Worms don't eat garbage, they actually eat the microorganisms that decay the food, and in the process speed up composting producing worm castings, perhaps the best organic fertilizer for house plants, potted plants or gardens.

How does the Worm Factory® self sorting upward migration system work?
Worms are placed in a tray along with bedding, a combination of fiber and food. The second tray of bedding is placed on top of the first tray. As the worms finish digesting the food in the first tray, they naturally seek more and migrate upward into the next tray. Continue adding trays and feeding the worms from the top. Most of your worms will leave the bottom bin, which is then emptied into the garden and rotated to the top of your Worm Factory.

How long does it take to get the system going?
In full operation the Worm Factory® will house about 10,000 - 12,000 worms. They will consume 5 to 8 pounds of food a week, allowing you to harvest a full tray of castings each month. It will take 6 to 9 months to reach this level.

What does the Worm Factory® kit include?
Each Worm Factory® comes with detailed instructions, 3 trays and the basic ingredients needed to create a bed in which your worms (sold separately) will flourish.

Where do I buy worms?
You may buy worms (we recommend Red Wigglers) locally or order them through the Yelm Worm Farm (www.yelmworms.com).

What kind of worms should I use?
Not all worms are compatible with the Worm Factory®. Red Wigglers are highly recommended. There are some tropical composting worms that will jump out of the bin in lightening storms.

How much food do worms eat?
In a healthy worm bin, one pound of worms will consume one pound of food (50% kitchen scraps and 50% fiber) a day.

Can I keep my Worm Factory® outside?
Red Wiggler composting worms tolerate temperatures from 45 F to 85 F. They will not work in direct light and should be kept in a cool, covered area. In northern climates they should be kept inside when the temperature falls below freezing.

Will my Worm Factory® attract insects?
Most worm bins have some problems with pests. Our instructions include several practical ways to reduce or eliminate them all together.

The Original Worm Factory®

Stacking Trays

Worm Factory® Base

Collection Tray

16-Page Instruction Book

"Quick Tips" Lid

Coir

Worm Bedding

Spigot